Farm Aid

May 27, 1985|By Jerry Jackson of The Sentinel Staff

Small farmers struggling to sell their produce can get help from the Florida Department of Agriculture. About 17 retail farmers' sales operations, called ''tailgate outlets,'' have been established around the state with the department's help, said Lowell Parrish, a spokesman for the department's marketing division.

The retail outlets enable farmers to sell directly to consumers to help increase profits, particularly now that low commodity prices and high interest rates are squeezing farm income, Parrish said.

The retail farm sales outlets are different from the state-sponsored farmers' market system that specializes in wholesale produce sales.